Postless wire fence.



PATENTED JUNE 30, 1903-.

M. H. STARLING. POSTLESS WIRE FENCE.

APPLICATION FILED JIiLY 23, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

W iigzsszs n15 mama Perms co. Puma-l mo WASHINGTON u. c.

No.732,2e1.

Fatented June 30, 1903.

- PATENT OFFICE.

MILES H. STARLING, OF BROWNS MILL, OHIO.

POSTLESS WIRE FENCE;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 732,231, dated. June 30, 1903.

Application filed July 23, 1902- Serial No. 116.697. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: 3 I

Be it known that'I, MILES H. STARLING, a; citizen of the United States, residing at Browns Mill, in the county of Washington and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Postless Wire Fence, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in other or with a railroad-station or other point.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partlyin section, of afence constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same. Figs. 3 and t are detail views illustrating the construction of the insulators.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1, 2, and 3 designate horizontal wires or runners of a fence, the wires 1 being of the ordinary construction and being arranged at the lower portion of the fence and forming the main body thereof, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, and the wire 3 being provided with barbs for preventing stock from breaking through or otherwise injuring the fence. The wire 2, which is preferably arranged at the upper portion of the fence between the wires 1 and the barbed wire 3, is a telephone-wire and is insulated by the means hereinafter described and is designed to connect one house with another or with a railroad-station or other point to enable the fence to be utilized for this purpose and to obviate the necessity of constructing independent telegraph or telephone wires.

'The intermediate posts usually employed in. fences are omitted in the present fence, end supports or posts being alone required.

The wires 1 and 3 are connected by tension devices 4, composed of a coiled spring 5 and slid-able sections or members 6 of approximately U shape, extending through the coiled spring and having their terminals bent outward 'to form stops for engaging the ends of the spring. The spring is retained on the sides of the U-shaped sections or members by the said stops, and the transverse portions of the said sections or members are connected with the fence-wires in any suitable manner. The tension devices are adapted to permit the wires to expand and'coutract without liability of breaking the wires and without producing any'slack in the same.

' The fence-wires are supported by twisted stay-wires 7, forming a series of continuous stays extending from the top to the bottom of the fence from the barbed. wire 3 to the bottom wire l,'and the wires or strands constituting this continuous stay may be twisted in anydesired manner. Theoppositely-inclined stays formed by the continuous stay-wires are arranged at regular intervals, and the telephone-wire 2 is connected with the stays by insulators 8, consisting of cylindrical sleeves composed of two sections fitted together around the telephone-wire and provided with grooves 9 to receive the strands of the stay,

as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and A. By this construction the telephone-wire is completely insulated and is at the same time firrnly connected with and supported by the inclined stavs.

The fence is supported at the bottom by blocks 10 to prevent it from sinking into the ground, and blocks 11 are designed to be arranged at opposite sides of the bottom of the fence to prevent the same from shifting its position and to retain the fence firmly in proper position. The fence'post is firmly anchored at regular intervals by guy-wires or braces 12, which take the place of intermediate fence-posts and which are composed of upper twisted portions and lower loops 13. The lower loops receive anchoring-blocks 14,

which together with the blocks 10 and 11 arepreferably constructed of stone or other indestructible material. The twisted portions of the braces or guy-wires are located above the surface of the ground, and the lower portions or loops, which are arranged within the ground, are preferably supported by lead pipes 15 to prevent them from rusting; but they may be coated with lead in any other suitable manner. The bottom of the fence may be secured to the blocks and 11 by wire tires or any other suitable means, and when suitable blocks or stones cannot be readily obtained the bottom of the fence may be connected with the braces or guy-wires 12 by transverse braces 16. The upper ends of the guy-wires or braces 12 are connected with the barbed Wire 3 by a tension device 17, constructed similar to those heretofore described. These tension devices are also provided for permitting, the barbed wire to yield to a certain extent to cause it when slightly deflected to prick an animal without injuring it. The tension devices permit the wires to yield to some extent when an animal comes in contact with them, and unless the pressure or force exerted by the animal is great and continuous it will not be materially affected by the barbs of the top wire. Any number of barbed wires may be employed, if desired.

The telephone-Wire is designed to be continuous, and when the fence is broken by a gateway the telephone-wire will be extended over the gateway, as indicated in Fig. 1, and will be supported by suitable insulating devices 19, mounted on an upright 20.

\Vhat I claim 15- 1. A fence comprising a series of runners, a continuous longitudinal stay composed of twisted strands and extending back and forth from the top to the bottom of the fence and forming oppositely-inclined portions, anchors arranged at intervals and connected with the longitudinal stay at the bottom of the fence, and sectional sleeves connecting one of the runners with the longitudinal stay and arranged between and held in position by the strands of the same, substantially as described.

2. A fence comprising a series of runners, a continuous longitudinal stay extending back and forth from the top to the bottom of the fence and forming oppositely-inclined portions, inclined braces arranged at opposite sides of the fence and provided at their lower ends with suitable anchors, and a tension device connected with the upper ends of the braces and with the longitudinal stay, substantially as described.

3. A fence comprising a series of runners, a continuous longitudinal stay extending back and forth from the top to the bottom of the fence and forming oppositely-inclined portions, inclined braces arranged at opposte sides of the fence and composed of twisted upper portions and provided at their lower portions with loops, tubes for receiving the lower portions of said braces and forming shields to prevent the braces from rusting, anchoring devices connected with the lower ends of the braces, and a tension device connecting the upper ends of the braces with the longitudinal stay.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MILES I'I. STARLING.

Witnesses:

ISAAC D. SPOONER, MILES HERMISTON. 

